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Terms and Conditions

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR PERSONS OUTSIDE OF
AUSTRALIA: This website and related services has been designed for persons resident in Australia only.

If
you are accessing this website from outside
of Australia you acknowledge and agree that:

(1)the information in this
web-site is to be used for educational purposes only;

(2)as an educational resource,
this website is not a medical service or device and is not registered with any overseas
regulatory body or professional association; and

(3)that any actions (or omissions)
taken a result of information obtained on this web-site are at your sole risk
and Swinburne University of Technology takes no responsibility for any consequences
or outcomes that may arise.

GENERAL TERMS:

Please read the Terms of Use carefully. If you
agree to the Terms of Use you may use the General Psycho-Educational
Information and register and use the Online Psychological Assessment (e-PASS)
system. If assessed as a candidate for the Self Help and/or Therapist Assisted
Treatment Programs, you may proceed to undertake treatment with the NeTC. If
you do not wish to be bound by the Terms of Use, you are not permitted to
register for or use the services on this website.

Services provided on this website, titled ‘ Mental Health Online', are provided
by Swinburne University of Technology ("Swinburne"), through the
National eTherapy Centre (NeTC).

1 Acceptance of Terms of Use and Amendments

Each time you use or cause access to this website, you agree to be bound by the
site's Terms of Use. In addition, if you are using a particular service on or
through this website, you will also be subject to any rules or guidelines
applicable to that service.

2 Services

2.1 Website Contents
The services on the Mental Health Online website consist of three main parts:

General Psycho-Educational Information;

Psychological Assessment (e-PASS) and

Self Help and Therapist Assist Treatment Programs.

The services on the Mental Health Online website will not be appropriate if:

in respect to the Self Help or Therapist Assist treatment
programs, you do not have an anxiety disorder or symptoms.

Further information regarding each of the services is set out below:

2.2 General Psycho-Educational Information
The Psycho-Educational Information is intended as a general introduction to the
six (6) anxiety disorders addressed by the Mental Health Online website. It is
intended as information only, and is not intended to describe entirely the
symptoms suffered by any one individual falling within one, or any, of the six
anxiety disorders. However, if you complete the e-PASS, you may obtain an
assessment of your propensity toward one of the anxiety disorders (excluding
Specific Phobia) treated by the Mental Health Online website. Best-practice
evidence-based diagnosis of mental disorders is at this stage only available
directly from a mental health care professional.

2.3 Online Psychological Assessment (e-PASS) system
The online psychological assessment program (e-PASS) is a pre-requisite to
obtaining treatment through the Self Help and Therapist Assisted Programs. If
e-PASS determines that the Self Help and Therapist Assisted Programs are
inappropriate or ill-suited to your diagnosis, you are advised to consider the
recommendations made by e-PASS to seek alternative assistance or therapy beyond
the Mental Health Online service. You are also advised that e-PASS has been
developed through expert consensus and based on the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition - Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR). Ongoing
observation of, and research into, the utility and accuracy of e-PASS ensures
that the diagnostic results provided to users are as accurate and appropriate
as possible given the limitations of the online service. e-PASS is not intended
to substitute for traditional best-practice clinical assessment by a mental
health professional.

2.3.1 Limitation of Liability
The NeTC accepts no liability for incorrect results provided by e-PASS. If,
after receiving results from e-PASS, you feel stressed or anxious because of
those results, or you otherwise feel that the results are inaccurate or
inappropriate, you are advised to contact your nearest health care
professional. The NeTC accepts no liability for loss or damage suffered due to
your use of the diagnostic results, or any action taken by you in response to
the diagnostic results.

2.4 Therapist Assisted Program

2.4.1 ServicesYou may choose to obtain
treatment through a Self Help or Therapist Assist Treatment Program. Each
program is completed over 12 weeks, uses evidence-based treatment content,
interactive online tools and activities and email, chat or video therapy (Therapist AssistPrograms only). Both the Self Help and Therapist-Assist Treatment programs
are free of charge and use the services of eTherapists who are people who have
completed online eTherapist training, and who meet either of the following
qualifications:

a student undertaking post-graduate study in psychology (with an
Australian Psychological Society accredited University) and at minimum,
has probationary psychologist registration and is under the supervision of
a fully registered psychologist; or

a fully registered psychologist.

2.5 Limitations of Services
Whilst there are benefits to mental health services being available online, it
is also acknowledged that there are limitations to the services provided on the
Mental Health Online website. The services available on the Mental Health
Online website are not intended to replace traditional forms of face-to-face
psychotherapy. Therefore, if at any time you believe that the Mental Health
Online website services do not meet or address your needs, or give rise to
other concerns about your health, you are advised to seek the services of an
appropriate health care professional.

3 Research

The
information you provide may be used to evaluate the services provided on the
Mental Health Online website.

For example, the information collected could be used when reporting on the
progress of Mental Health Online to our funding body and for research purposes
such as publications. All of your data will be analysed (and reported) in a
de-identifiable form.

In addition, you may be further invited to participate in other related
research, including the testing of the reliability, validity and user
experience of e-PASS.

For more information about how we collect, store and use your information,
please refer to our Privacy
Policy Statement.

4 Modification or Discontinuance

NeTC exclusively reserves the right to, and may at any time and without notice
and any liability to you, modify or discontinue this website and its services
or delete the data you provide, whether temporarily or permanently. NeTC has no
responsibility or liability for the timeliness, deletion, failure to store, inaccuracy,
or improper delivery of any data or information.
5 Privacy Policy Statement

Registration data and other personally identifiable information that the NeTC
may collect is subject to the terms of our Privacy
Policy Statement.

6 Security and Confidentiality

6.1 Security
NeTC does its best to protect the Mental Health Online website from security
breaches by employing banking industry security features. NeTC has a security
certificate, which means they comply with the security requirements of
certification authority. However, the provision of services through this
website is subject to security risks inherent in any internet service. Whilst
the NeTC endeavours to ensure that your personal information is secure, it is
not possible to safeguard against all possible breaches of security. You are
advised to ensure that the computer terminal from which you send email and
messages from is secure.

6.2 Confidentiality
eTherapists may print and keep on your file a copy of the transcripts of
sessions. All records are stored in accordance with our Privacy
Policy Statement and in the same manner as
face-to-face health record-keeping practices.

6.3 Limits to Confidentiality
The NeTC reserves the right to report to relevant authorities, such as the
police or child protection authorities, situations where a client or associate
of a client is judged to be at risk of self-harm, or of harming others,
particularly if it the risk is to a person under 17 years of age. eTherapists
are also obliged to report to police certain information obtained about the
commission or suspected commission of a criminal act.

6.4 Communication of Information to Others

6.4.1 Professional Purposes
Where information is used for professional purposes, it may only be
communicated to persons legitimately concerned with your case within the NeTC.
Confidential information will only be disclosed in these circumstances where:

your identity is concealed;

your consent to the disclosure is obtained prior to starting the
Therapist Assist Program;

the recipient of the information has been given prior notice of
their privacy obligations in relation to the information; and,

the recipient of the information has given an undertaking not to
disclose the information to others.

6.4.2 Supervision
eTherapists, who are under supervision, will need to discuss their cases with
their supervisor. By accessing the Therapist Assist Program you will accept
that in order to obtain the services from an eTherapist under supervision, you
will need to provide consent to any disclosure about your case that needs to
occur between the eTherapist and their supervisor. If you are receiving
treatment through the Therapist Assist Program, your emails may be downloaded
and printed by the eTherapist for these purposes. Any document used for these
purposes will mask your identifying data and will be disposed of in accordance
with Policy on the Conduct of Research and Australian Psychological Society
Code of Ethics.

6.4.3 Research
Where information is used for the purposes of research and publication, strict
adherence will be had to the Policy on the Conduct of Research. If used for
research and publication purposes, your information be analysed in a
de-identifiable form and dissemination of the results will not contain material
capable of identifying you.

6.5 Ethics and Professional Guidelines
eTherapists, in providing online services, will be registered (probationary
registered and supervised or fully registered) with their relevant state
psychologist registration board, and shall adhere to the Australian
Psychological Society Code of Ethics and the relevant code of behaviour
applicable in the eTherapist's state of registration.

6.6 Withdrawal
You may withdraw from further participation in any of the services at any time.

6.7 Feedback
Technical difficulties should be reported to your eTherapist. These
difficulties will be negotiated with you to ensure a fair outcome. Any feedback
or comments regarding the NeTC website should be directed to contactmho@swin.edu.au

7 Your Responsibilities

7.1 Age
Access and use of e-PASS, Self Help and Therapist Assisted Programs is only
permitted to persons 18 years or older. You are required to confirm during
registration for e-PASS and the Self Help and Therapist Assisted Programs that
you are 18 years or older.

7.2 Registration
In order to use the e-PASS and the Self Help and Therapist Assisted Programs,
you must register on the Mental Health Online website, and agree to provide
truthful information when requested. When registering, you agree to these Terms
of Use.

7.3 Password
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and
shall be responsible for all uses via your registration and/or login, whether
authorised or unauthorised by you. You agree to immediately notify us of any
unauthorised use of your registration, user account or password.

7.4 Confidentiality of Your Data
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any data you
download onto your computer. It is your responsibility to delete or keep safe
emails and transcripts of online conversations that you download or print out.
You should be aware that even deleted files can still be accessed.

7.5 Your Conduct
When using the Self Help and Therapist Assisted Program, you have
responsibility for:

7.5.1 Attending to and participating in weekly activities and
communications with your eTherapist when using the Therapist Assisted Programs;
7.5.2 Conducting your email communications in a way that will
maximise your ability to benefit from it. (e.g. not be under the influence of
drugs or alcohol, not be experiencing a state of crisis) when using the
Therapist Assisted Programs;
7.5.3 Undertaking e-PASS in a way that will maximise your
ability to benefit from it. (e.g. not be under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, not be experiencing a state of crisis)
7.5.4 Giving the eTherapist relevant information in order for
him/her to assist you when using the Therapist Assisted Programs; and,
7.5.5 Completing the e-PASS post-assessment and follow-up
assessment(s) when using the Self Help and Therapist Assisted Programs.

7.6 Your Use of eTherapist Electronic Communications.
You explicitly agree not to forward or copy email messages or other electronic
communications from our eTherapists to other persons, except in circumstances
where this has been agreed in advance by your eTherapist, and is done with the
written consent of your eTherapist. You may not copy and paste bits of text or
use the eTherapist's advice out of context, or pass on the advice to a third
party.

8 Investigation by the NeTC

The NeTC may take steps, if necessary, to investigate any violation of these
Terms of Use, including the recording of any communications or materials in its
services.
9 Copyright and Intellectual Property

If the National eTherapy Centre believes you have breached any of these
terms then your right to access these services and website may be immediately
suspended. In that event, you agree that you will have no claim against
Swinburne University of Technology for any direct or indirect costs or losses
that you may have experienced or incurred as a result of this suspension.